Vegetable-cutting apparatus



W. W. TUCK.

VEGETABLE CUTTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-3|.19l9.

1,322,738. Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

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UNFiEE %TATE% PATENT @FFlQlil.

WILLIAM WALTER 'I'UCK, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DEPCO CUBEB.

COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N.

35"., A CORPORATION OF NEW YGRK.

VEGETABLE-CUTTING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 31, 1919.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM VVAL'rnn 'loon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richmond Hill, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Vegetable-Cutting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for cutting and shaping vegetables, particularly potatoes, substantially in the manner set forth in my concurrent application Serial No. 255,595, filed September 25, 1918, the apparatus described in said prior apphcation being designed more. particularly for power and speed and for dehydrating purposes, whereas the mechanism described and claimed herein, while susceptible of being power driven by coupling with suitablereciprocatory means, is designed more particularly for service as a hand machine for use in. hotels, restaurants, and so forth, and even for household use, as in the case of boarding houses and establislnnents where relatively large quantities of vegetables are used for cooking purposes.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1, is what may be designated as a front view of my apparatus;

Fig. 2, is a vertical section taken upon plane of line 2-2, Fig. 1; I

Fig. 8, is a top view of the apparatus equipped as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4-, is a front view with stand and other parts broken away and showing cuber equipment; V

Fig. is a top view in part, showlng details of the equipment shown in Fig. 4;

Fig.6, is a perspective view on a larger scale, showing the spacing platen and connections; V

' Fig.7, is a View ofthe slicing knlfe;

Fi 8, is a view of the slicing knlfe with slit cutters superposed thereon;

' Fig. 9, is a front view of the slit cutter attachment;

Fig. 10, is a cross section of the parts shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11, isa detail of one of the slit cutters;

Fig. 12, is a perspective on a larger scale of the cuber knives and gear drive.

A, represents any suitable standard or support for the vegetable receptacle R, which latter forms the basic structure upon which the operative parts are mounted, said vege- Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 286,416.

table receptacle B, being essentially a three sided box having at its open front side four laterally projecting bracket arms 1, 1, two upper and two lower, formed with vertical protuberant bosses 1", T, which are screw tapped for the reception of screws 9, g, by which the gib plates 9, g, are held in position. The inner faces of the bracket arms are shouldered and finished to afi'ord runways for the slide members 8, s, which are held in said runways by the aforesaid gib plates g, g. The slide members 8, s, are rigidly connected by means of an intermediate handle 8", at their outer extremities, and by means of a medial bridge piece 8 positioned a suitable distance from their other free eXtremities,s-aid parts, 2'. e., the. slide members .9, s, handle 5', and bridge piece 8 constituting collectively a rigid carrier frame on which the other operative parts are positioned. The forward or cutting thrust of the carrier frame is limited by the contacting of the handle shanks 8 8), with the ends of the forward gib plates, and in like manner the' retractile movement of the carrier frame is limited by the contacting of a pin 8 on the rear of one of the slides s, with the rear end of one of the rear gibs, as shown in Fig. 1.

A spacing platen P, consists of a fiat plate mounted loosely upon and between guide studs 8, s, which are rigidly attached to the slide members 8, s, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, of the drawings. Biveted to the center of the plate P, is a screw stud p, which protrudes through a hole made for the purpose in the bridge 8 and engages with a spacing wing-nut p, by which the inward thrust of said platen plate P, is limited,said inward thrust being imparted to the platen plate 1?, by means of compressed springs 19 p encircling the guide studs s s and interposedbetween the heads .9 8, thereof, and the said platen plate, said springs 29, tending constantly to expand, and hence to hold the spacing nut 39, against the bridge 8 and thereby yieldably holding the spacing platen normally in prescribed paral lel al'inement with the open inner end of'the vegetable receptacle R. V

The shape and'areaof the spacing platen P, is approximately at least equal to the shape and area of delivery opening through the said inner end of the receptacle B, so that when th carrier rame is in retracted position, in Figs. 1 i, said delivery Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

' beyond a prescribed plane as relatedto the slicing plane, or plane severance. It will use opening will be opposed to and closed by the platen P, excepting only at the edges of SiLlCl opening ir'or a space prescribed by the adjustment ofthe normal positionof the platen P, by means of .the spacing nut 72, as before set forth.

R, andagainst the platen VP, cannot-protrude be understood that the vegetable matter is herein presumed to be forwarded through the receptacle'li, by hand pressure by which the material is held and advanced as required, so that there need be no interference with the retractile movement oftlie carrier frame. 7 r v d An essential feature or my inventionin this connection consists in the use of the yieldable and adjustable spacing platen P, mounted upon'the carrier frame and traveling therewith.- The yield'ance provided for 1 sufiicient for the purpose.

7 part of the blade being the widest as she W11.

i oruse t by; the elastic resilient pressure of. thespifings 7%, enables theplaten to "adapt itself to slight variations inpressure, and facilitate's adjustment: because by the use of the fourcorner guide studs and springs one central regulating screw 72,'-and:n-ut 1% is I 5 8 are screw studsrigidlyprotuberant from the slide members, 8, 8, and n, mare Wing-nuts engagi'ng' therewitln and affording. means" whereby the cutting devices arebound to the said'slidemembers, as desired The slicingblade B, preferably formed with an oblique cutting edge 7), the upper particularyin Fig. 7. This'insures a, shearing g action, and tends to press the material sing Cllll'tOWfilfl llhG far side and bottom of theven'etable pocket or receptacle B, thereby holding suchmaterialfirmly in position during the severance stroke of the slide frame. 7 s

I will herein describe my apparatus as used in connection with iotato' roducts it Y being understood that I do not limit myself treated in like manner. 7

WV hen simple slices5 asi'or chips, are re quired, the slicing'bladeB, is'alone secured thereto, and that other vegetablesnia-y be to. the slide members 8, s,'by means ofthe' screw studs s 5?; and nuts n. n) and-performsits function alone. Whenstrips, .as-

fori ffiren'ch fried aierequired. the of" slit cuttersc, 0, are added. Theseslit i terse, c,-'aire' mounted in transverse grooves in a blocker holder C, ad'apted to fitupon theslicing'b-lade B, and'to be sec-u-i'ed'there to and to the slide memberss, 5 lnllke man.-v

' nor by the-sc'rei studs s', and nuts 01. The forward edge of'th'e block C, is oblique and parallel to the cutting edgeb, o'fthe' slicing blade 13, but slightly to the rear thereof;

Hence the vegetable matter fed through the delivery end of the receptacle and its front portion is formed with the in,- cline 0i bevel 'c,'terniinat ngin ajstra ght vertical cutting'edge 0 for a purpose hereinafter setforth. The cutting edges of the slitters c, '0', protrudebeyond the cutting edge 7), of the slicing blade B, as shown in Figs. "8 and 10, but upon thesame plane there-Withso that in the formation of potato strips as for French fried) the slitting precedes sli 'htly the slicing, thereby preserving; the-integrity of material as far as possible, and preventing sucli'dainage andjwaste as would be apt tooccur were the slicing severance effected first. In other Words; Ithus present a solid and. firmly supported mass] of material to the action of the cutting-edges oi the slitters 0, .vhich n no wise interferes with the innnediately subsequent action of the slicing edge whereas if the slicing pre-V ceeded the slittingoperation the sliced ma,

arranged to seveittlie strips ot' potato transversely as delivered from.the-slitters 0, 0. Thus, in the drawings, a, series of six cube cutters 75, 1 1;, areaiiixed radially toacominon rotatable shaftJuQlmounted in bracket bearlugs 0 adapter to be secured to the outer race 0*, of the'slitter block G, as shown in Figs; land 5', by means of the aforesaid" screw studs 8 and ivingL-nuts it, 77.

t 3. r; gear 70-,on the shaft 70 meshes with a stat1on=ary-. longitudinal rack .89, supported' on bracket lugs s which are securedito tlie;

bosses'r rgby inean's'oi" the screws 5/, which also secure the gibs g. to :said bosses 1", r. on the bracket ari nsjr, 1*, as hereinbetore set forth. Thus, -i-. hen the slideframeis reciprocated the-Cuber knives 7a,. are rotated; and duringthe: torwa rd or, severancethrust of said franie cut the potato strips as delivered from .the slitte'rs c in-to cubes; ln order to I accomplish this satisfactorily the cuber' knives lc, are so positioned with relation re the e'dge c on thesl-itterbloek' 'G, that the iis.

strips of potato as delivered from the sl'it ter-blades mover the-inclined surface 0", are sheared ofi" by the cuber coin'cidei'it' with said c'i'ittiiigedire-{c g thereby knives 70, on a line insuring a clean and welt defi-i'ied cut; The

bevel or inclined plane d], on the block 6, be-' tween the cutter edge 0", and the slitters 'c,' 0,-i'eeds the potato strips most advantage ously to and-between the cutter edger/ rand the cuber knives 70, by keeping control of said potato strips and deflecting them gradually and evenly to the cutting edges named, thus preventing the potato strips from Wabbling or breaking apart before being cubed.

It is to be noted that for convenience of description in the claims, etc., the several cutting means are designated as being positioned on the reciprocatory carrier at the rear of the platen P.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted With relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, and a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, for the purpose described.

2. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted with relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, and a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, said slicing blade being formed With an oblique cutting edge, for the purpose described.

3. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciproeatory carrier frame slidably mounted with relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, means for adjusting said platen as related to the said vegetable feed receptacle, and a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, for the purpose described.

4. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted with relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame held in prescribed position by elastic resilient pressure, means for adjusting said platen as related to the said vegetable feed receptacle, and a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, for the purpose described.

5. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatorv car-.

rier frame slidably mounted With relation thereto, a platen plate adjustably mountedupon said carrier frame, said platen being formed With a centralized screw stud extending through a bridge piece on the carrier frame, said bridge piece, a Wing-nut engaging the said screw stud and bearing studs ri idl )rotuberant from said carrier frame and extending through holes in the platen, springs interposed between the heads of said guide studs and said platen, and a slicing blade mounted on said carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, for the purpose described.

6. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combinatioma vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted With relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, and a series of slit cutters mounted on said slicer blade and carrier frame, for the purpose described.

7. In vegetable cutting appa atus oi the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted With relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said re ciprocatory carrier frame, a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, and a series of slit cutters mounted on said slicer blade and carrier frame in transverse alinement as related to the cutting edge of the slicer blade, for the purpose described.

8. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted With relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, and a series of slit cutters mounted transversely on and With relation to said slicer blade with their cutting edges protuberant beyond the cutting edge of said slicer blade, for the purpose described.

9. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted with relation thereto, a platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, a series of slit cutters mounted in grooves in a holding block secured to the slicer blade and to the carrier frame, the slit cutters being positioned transversely as related to and protruding beyond the cutting edge of the slicer blade. and said slit cutter holding block formed with a beveled surface adjacent to and behind the aforesaid cutting edges, for the purpose described.

10. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatoly carrier frame slidably mounted with relation thereto, a yieldablezplaten plate on said rescribed,

, 11. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, incombination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory can rier frame slidably mounted with relation thereto, a yieldable platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, a series of transverse slit cutters mounted on said slicer blade and carrier frame, and a plurality of rotatable cuber knives mounted to-act in conjunction therewith, for "the purpose described. Y I A 12. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in co'mbination,a vege table feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame sli'dably mounted with relation thereto, a platen plate on said reciprocatory carrier frame, a slicing blade mounted on said slidable carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, a series of transverse slit cuttersmounted on said slicer blade and carrier frame, a plurality of cuber knives attached to ashaft mounted in bearings secured indirectly to the carrier frame, a pin.- ion on said cuber knife shaft engaging with a stationary rack, and said stationary rack rigidly supported on the Vegetable feed receptacle, for the purpose described.

18. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the characterdesignated, in combination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted with relation thereto, a platen plate on saidreciprocatory carrier frame, a slicing blademount'cd on said slid'able carrier frame adjacent to and at the rear of said platen, a series of transverse slit cutters mounted in grooves in a holding block secured to the slicer blade and to the carrier frame, the slit 'cutters being positio'ne'd transversely as related to: and pro with a beveled surface adjacent to and behind the aforesaid cutting-edges, a plurality of cuber lmives attached to a shaft mounted in bearings secured to said slit cutter holding block and tothe carrier frame,':said cuber knife shaft being positioned in alineme'nt with the cutting edgeon the holding block forming the apex of the aforesaid beveled surface thereon, a pinion on said cuber knife shaft engaging a stationary rack, and said stationary rack rigidly supported on the vegetable feed receptacle, for the purpose described. 7 r

14. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, incombination, a vegetable feed receptacle, a recipr ocatorycarrier frame slidably mounted thereon, and consisting of slide members united transversely by a handle and a bridge piece, runways on the vegetable feed receptacle and gib pieces for confining the edges of the slide bars thereto, a platen plate mounted on said reciprocatory carrier frame, a 'resihent mount-' ing for said platen, and a slicing blade also mounted on said carrier frame adj acen-t to and at the rear of said platen, for the purpose described.

15. In vegetable cutting apparatus of the character designated, in combination, a vege table feed receptacle, reciprocatory carrier frame slidably mounted thereon, and CODS'lSl'w ing of slide members united transversely by 'a handle and a bridge p ece, screwstuds rigidly protuberant' from slide members,

wing nuts engaging therewith, a platen plate mounted on said reciprocatory carrier frame, a reslhe'nt mountmg for said platen-and a sllcing blade also mounted on'said frame ad acent to and at the rear of saId platen and secured to the slide members by means of s'ald screw studs and wing nuts, for the purposedescribed.

lVILL'IAli l WALTER TUCK.

Vitnesses EDWARD S. EATON, ROBERTS. TUGK. 

